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Delta achieves key financial milestone and returns to fully investment grade balance sheet

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Delta achieves key financial milestone and returns to fully investment grade balance sheet

Delta achieves key financial milestone and returns to fully investment grade balance sheet

Delta achieved an important financial milestone on Tuesday when S&P Global Ratings, one of three credit rating agencies, raised its rating to investment grade – a reflection of the company’s strong financial outlook. 

Delta achieved an important financial milestone on Tuesday when S&P Global Ratings, one of three credit rating agencies, raised its rating to investment grade – a reflection of the company’s strong financial outlook. S&P is the last of the agencies to upgrade Delta to investment grade.  All agencies now recognize Delta’s industry-leading performance and our continued focus on strengthening the balance sheet through debt reduction. 

“It’s exciting to see Delta return to investment grade at all three credit agencies as we near the end of 2024 and set our sights on making our 100th year the most profitable in our history,” said Dan Janki, Delta’s chief financial officer. “Thanks to the Delta team’s incredible work for our customers every day, we continue to extend our leadership position and separate Delta from the rest of the industry, and this is yet another example of that differentiation.” 

Delta provided strategic insights into our future financial goals and long-term financial guidance at our Investor Day event on Nov. 20. S&P evaluated these recent updates as part of their decision to upgrade Delta’s credit rating. 

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Achieving investment grade has been a key goal Delta committed to in 2021 while presenting its recovery plan to emerge from the pandemic. In S&P’s review of Delta’s financial metrics and qualitative factors, the firm also recognized Delta’s efforts in this endeavor: “Delta has enhanced its capacity to withstand unexpected earnings weakness linked to historically volatile airline market conditions and preserve credit measures commensurate with its rating.” 

“Delta is well positioned to generate sustainably stronger credit measures. The company has steadily improved its earnings and cash flow over the past three years and we assume it will 

exceed the levels it reported in 2019 next year,” the report stated. “We believe Delta will remain a key beneficiary of what appears to be a structural shift in passenger travel demand. The company has materially expanded its premium, loyalty, and international revenue over the past several years, which we assume will continue. Delta has highlighted its goal of generating durable earnings and we believe these segments provide the most upside to its business and profitability.” 

Delta is one of only two airlines among our DOT-reporting competitors to hold the rating of investment grade across all three agencies.  

 

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Forward Looking Statements  

Statements made in this article that are not historical facts, including statements regarding our estimates, expectations, beliefs, intentions, projections, goals, aspirations, commitments or strategies for the future, should be considered “forward-looking statements” under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are not guarantees or promised outcomes and should not be construed as such. All forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the estimates, expectations, beliefs, intentions, projections, goals, aspirations, commitments and strategies reflected in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the possible effects of serious accidents involving our aircraft or aircraft of our airline partners; breaches or lapses in the security of technology systems we use and rely on, which could compromise the data stored within them, as well as failure to comply with evolving global privacy and security regulatory obligations or adequately address increasing customer focus on privacy issues and data security; disruptions in our information technology infrastructure; our dependence on technology in our operations; increases in the cost of aircraft fuel; extended disruptions in the supply of aircraft fuel, including from Monroe Energy, LLC (“Monroe”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Delta that operates the Trainer refinery; failure to receive the expected results or returns from our commercial relationships with airlines in other parts of the world and the investments we have in certain of those airlines; the effects of a significant disruption in the operations or performance of third parties on which we rely; failure to comply with the financial and other covenants in our financing agreements; labor issues; the effects on our business of seasonality and other factors beyond our control, such as changes in value in our equity investments, severe weather conditions, natural disasters or other environmental events, including from the impact of climate change; failure or inability of insurance to cover a significant liability at Monroe’s refinery; failure to comply with existing and future environmental regulations to which Monroe’s refinery operations are subject, including costs related to compliance with renewable fuel standard regulations; significant damage to our reputation and brand, including from exposure to significant adverse publicity or inability to achieve certain sustainability goals; our ability to retain senior management and other key employees, and to maintain our company culture; disease outbreaks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic or similar public health threats, and measures implemented to combat them; the effects of terrorist attacks, geopolitical conflict or security events; competitive conditions in the airline industry; extended interruptions or disruptions in service at major airports at which we operate or significant problems associated with types of aircraft or engines we operate; the effects of extensive government regulation we are subject to; the impact of environmental regulation, including but not limited to regulation of hazardous substances, increased regulation to reduce emissions and other risks associated with climate change, and the cost of compliance with more stringent environmental regulations; and unfavorable economic or political conditions in the markets in which we operate or volatility in currency exchange rates.   

Additional information concerning risks and uncertainties that could cause differences between actual results and forward-looking statements is contained in our Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 and subsequent quarterly reports and other filings filed with the SEC from time to time. Caution should be taken not to place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements, which represent our views only as of the date of this article, and which we undertake no obligation to update except to the extent required by law.  

© 2024 Delta Air Lines, Inc.

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Finance

Financing Innovations in Climate Mobility

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Financing Innovations in Climate Mobility

The accelerating impacts of climate change on human mobility demand coordinated action across sectors. Despite some progress, last year’s sharp cuts to development, humanitarian, climate, and migration funding for developing countries have worsened many scenarios. Donor nations and private sector investors must step up — but what does meaningful and innovative investment in climate mobility look like?

How can donor support be better used to back fit‑for‑purpose measures across the “spectrum of climate mobility”, prevent displacement where possible, strengthen the resilience of those who stay, and enable safe, dignified, and voluntary mobility when needed? How can investment protect well‑being, reduce risk, and transform climate mobility into an opportunity for more resilient, equitable societies?

Join Carnegie’s Sustainability, Climate, and Geopolitics program for a panel discussion moderated by Alejandro Martin Rodriguez featuring Hon. Senator Dr. Joyelle Clarke, Dilpreet Sidhu, and Vel Gnanendran, bringing together climate, mobility, and finance experts, as well as national and city government leaders, to discuss the role that innovative financing can play in promoting climate mobility solutions that can improve the resilience and adaptation capabilities of societies. More speakers will be announced soon.

Lunch will be served from 12:00pm – 12:30 pm. The panel will take place from 12:30 pm – 2:o0 pm.

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Finance

UNEP FI’s Climate Pathways Navigator

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UNEP FI’s Climate Pathways Navigator

The UNEP FI Climate Pathways Navigator is a unique tool that gives financial institutions direct access to the climate scenario data they need to make informed, science-based decisions on their decarbonization pathways.

The tool helps financial institutions to set individual science-based targets, inform their transition plans and those of their clients and better engage clients and investees on climate action by having the right data available to them in one place.

Developed by UNEP FI in collaboration with banks, investors, insurers, and export credit agencies, the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) it directly links to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) scenarios database and those designed by industry. It cuts through hundreds of complex climate scenarios to make available the exact sectoral and regional data points financial institutions need, in one easy-to-use interface.

UNEP FI works with its members on how to mitigate and adapt to the commercial risks and opportunities they face due to climate change through the Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB) and Principles for Sustainable Insurance (PSI). This easy-to-use visual interface complements that work and addresses a critical need across the finance industry for practical, user-friendly climate analysis resources.

The tool is available at no cost to UNEP FI members and the broader financial community, governments, and policymakers.

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Access the tool here

  

Benefits of the tool
  • Enables financial institutions to improve their target setting, find the right scenarios for transition planning, and make well-informed and science-based decisions on decarbonization pathways.
  • Financial institutions can download data from one source and use in their existing systems.
  • Compare sectoral pathways across key datapoints tailored for target-setting. 
  • Compare the same sector across regions; highlight divergent points and timing. 
  • Filter hundreds of scenarios in seconds to find those that align with your target decarbonization ranges and transition plans.
  • The tool brings together Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) scenarios as well as those designed by industry, as has never been done before, in one platform.
  • Provides a common reference point for dialogue between financial institutions, corporates, governments, sector associations, and NGOs on how to enable the low-carbon transition.
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Testimonials
Derya Sargın Malkoç

Unit Manager, Investor Relations and Sustainability Division, Isbank

“Navigating the climate transition is no longer optional for the banking sector; it is central to how we do business. The Climate Pathways Navigator serves as a bridge, transforming high-level climate science into clear, actionable signals for the transition pathways that financial portfolios must follow.”

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Jean-Francois Coppenolle

Investment Director, Abeille Assurances

“As an investor dealing with rapidly evolving climate risks, I look for tools that convert scientific complexity into actionable insight. The Climate Pathways Navigator offers exactly that: clear, intuitive access to sector‑specific and regional insights drawn from leading climate scenarios.”

Moreno Capretti

Unit-Linked and Pension Investments, Intesa Sanpaolo Assicurazioni

“The Climate Pathways Navigator brings together hundreds of climate scenarios. By translating complex IAM datasets into clear sectoral indicators, it helps financial institutions compare pathways across models and use them more effectively for scenario analysis and target setting.”

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Frequently Asked Questions
  • Power
  • Steel
  • Cement
  • Transport (with sub-sector clusters for road, shipping, and aviation)
  • Buildings (residential and commercial)

The tool can provide data on the world, regional groupings (see list below) and multiple individual countries.

  • Africa
  • China+
  • Europe
  • India+
  • Latin America
  • Middle East
  • North America
  • Pacific OECD
  • Reforming Economies
  • Rest of Asia
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IPCC 6th Assessment Report Scenarios (2022), curated scenarios from the Scenario Compass Ensemble, and Sectoral Decarbonization Pathways developed by organizations such as the International Energy Agency, the One Earth Climate Model, or Mission Possible Partnership. Visit the About page for more information on available scenarios.

  • Direct emissions: From fossil fuel combustion within each sector.
  • Process emissions: Non-fossil fuel emissions arising from industrial processes, such as cement and steel production.
  • Indirect emissions: Emissions from the production of electricity, heat, and hydrogen from fossil fuels, allocated to end-use sectors based on projected consumption.

Emissions are reported for CO₂ alone or for all greenhouse gases (Kyoto gases: CO₂, CH₄, N₂O, HFCs, PFCs, SF₆). Sectoral Decarbonization Pathways cover different scopes and gas combinations. For Systemic Climate Pathways, we have calculated multiple scope variations where underlying data is permitted.

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Yes, all data is downloadable via CSV file through the Data Explorer tab.

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The categories are defined by the probability of returning to a given temperature by end of century:

  • 1.5°C – 50% probability of returning to 1.5°C by end of century
  • Below 2°C – Two-thirds chance of reaching 2°C by end of century
  • Above 2°C – Less than one-third chance of reaching 2°C by end of century

The first two categories correspond to alignment with the Paris Agreement. The ‘above 2°C’ category is a grouping of scenarios defined by probability thresholds, not by a specific projected temperature outcome. It does not break down each scenario’s individual projected output.

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Contact

To find out more about the tool, contact Jes Andrews, Co-Head of Climate at UNEP FI.

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2025 losses ding rating agency’s financial outlook for Highmark Inc.

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2025 losses ding rating agency’s financial outlook for Highmark Inc.

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